Muslim education trust loses bid to open school in empty West Bromwich office block

Sandwell Council rules site near to industrial units is unsuitable for a school

Parents who claimed they were forced
to send their children to classes almost 130 miles away have lost their
bid to open a Muslim secondary school in the Black Country.

Birmingham and Sandwell Education Trust, an umbrella group set up by Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani Muslim leaders, earmarked a vacant site in West Bromwich for the project.

They claimed parents had to send their children to independent schools as far away as
Blackburn and Bradford to be taught the ethos of their religion.

But
Sandwell Council’s planning committee decided the proposed site, Waterside House, in Charles Street, was unsuitable for the project.

The
Health and Safety Executive advised against the scheme because of the building’s “proximity to hazardous premises”, including a chemical distribution unit.

The Trust had applied for permission under the name of Derby-based Mohsin Teladia, and released a design and access statement through Birmingham-based agents Design Space 2.

In a lengthy ‘statement of need’
document, it said the scheme would create 35 full-time and 15 part-time
jobs.

It said it wanted to promote the Islamic ethos, train young Muslims to take an active role
in British society, and promote sports and leisure activities within Sharia law.

The Trust said
of pupils: “They will be equipped with all the necessary knowledge and expertise to be the guides for their community, so their community flourishes with the peaceful message of Islam and promoting the values of equality and responsibility to promote social cohesion both in the Muslim community and in the non-Muslim community.”

It said pupils would not be a “burden on society” and would pay fees of around £1,800 a year.

But
planning officer Douglas Eardley said the development should be refused
as it was on land designated by planning policies for employment use, and would be ‘adversely affected by existing industrial uses’.

And he agreed with council highways officers that parking was “inadequate”.